- Date
- July 21, 2011, 20:23 local (Jul 22, 2011, 01:23 UTC)
- Place
- Bolivar, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3815WPiper PA-32-260
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110721016019A
- Case key
- 81205
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The collision with a deer during landing at an airport with known wildlife activity.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During the landing flare and touchdown, the aiplane struck a deer. The airplane received substantial damage to the right wing leading edge, which was part of the integral fuel tank. The Airport Facility Directory remarks for the airport stated that there is wildlife on and in the vicinity of the airport. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The airplane was landing at the destination airport when it struck a deer upon touchdown. The airplane received substantial damage to the right wing leading edge, which was part of the integral fuel tank. The pilot stated that the airport had not been recently mowed and the vegetation along each side of the runway was more than 36 inches high, which may have acted as an attractant to wildlife. The Airport Facility Directory remarks for the airport stated that there is wildlife on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3815W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-746
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 2011
- Departed
- 2MO1 · Willard, MO
- Destination
- M17 · Bolivar, MO
- Airport
- M17 · Bolivar Municipal Airport, runway 36, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 24,968 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 24,200 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- SGF, 22 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3815W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.